


An unbroken promise

by miss_imagine



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-21
Updated: 2016-01-05
Packaged: 2018-05-08 01:49:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,496
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5478830
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/miss_imagine/pseuds/miss_imagine
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Luke and Rey retrieve Kylo Ren. Can he be saved?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Luke is not Rey's father and Kylo/Rey are not related.  
> Contains character origin revelation from the movie. Be warned.

‘Why did he do it?’ Rey found herself help move Kylo Ren out of harm’s way.  He was badly hurt, stabbed by his master, Snoke, after disobeying his order of killing Luke Skywalker. Luke lunged at Snoke and started to battle.

“Go! Take Ben with you. I will come and find you” Luke promised.

Rey and a barely conscious Kylo escaped and she headed to a location, where Luke instructed her to go if they got separated. She rode the Millennium Falcon and left Luke with a heavy heart.

Their objective was to retract Ben Solo, a promise they both made to Leia. To not let Han Solo’s death go in vain, no matter the cost.

When they reached their destination, Rey used her force to carry Kylo into the wooden hut. Her training with Luke paid off. She laid Kylo on the floor and started attending his wounds.

Underneath his garment, his body was covered with scars. Luke had told her that the dark side is fueled by anger and pain. 

‘Was it self conflicted?’ She wondered as she placed herbal medicine on his gaping wound. Rey knew tying him up would be pointless. She sat across him with her lightsaber in her hand, ready to fight Kylo Ren or console Ben Solo.

It took an hour for him to wake up, he rose quickly when he couldn’t identify his surroundings, then his body relaxed when his eyes set on Rey.

 “Stop that” Rey resisted his mental intrusion. “I will kill you if I must”

Kylo was not used to dealing with force sensitive beings. He was used to getting his way all the time without any resistance. 

“What happened?” he asked, unable to look her in the eyes. He did not have his mask to hide his face. He knew his eyes would betray him, showing concern for Luke.

“He will come back for us” Rey sounded hopeful.

Ben expected to wake-up in the afterlife. He had made his peace with his end when he threw himself in front of Luke and Rey, sacrificing himself; hoping he paid for his past mistakes.

He tried to get up, ignoring Rey’s lightsaber, but his body was weak; forcing him to fall back. He wanted to leave. Go far away as he can. He did not want to face Luke, his past, nor her … but his body won’t let him.

Rey saw his struggle and failed to mention that she had sedated him. She kept silent and continued to keep and watchful eye on his every move.

Kylo looked away, hating his weakened state being witnessed. He started drowning in self-pity and anger, but the bandages on his torso pulled him out it. She had tried to kill him twice and now she of all people is showing mercy. The unrest settled for him to say “Thank you”

Both felt a chill they have not experience before. A disturbance in the force.

> _You are weak, pathetic, scum like your smuggler father.  
>  The last Jedi is dead. You are next._

“No, no, no, no, noooo” Ben jumped, startling Rey. Ben started  pounding his head with his fist. Wanting to get Snoke’s voice from his head.

“He’s dead” Ben said the words with great difficulty.  

Before he spoke those words, she knew. Rey relaxed her hold on the lightsaber.

The man in front of her was no longer Kylo Ren, but a remorseful Ben Solo.

She kneeled down, placed her hand on his shoulder to console him. Being Luke’s padawan for a few months, she found a father she had never had. He taught her many lessons of the Jedi and life as well. He warned her of the dark side. She wanted to go after Snoke and avenge Luke, but she knew what she had to honor their promise.

To keep Ben in the light.


	2. The dark in need of light

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Will a broken Ben find the light?

‘I should have died. Not him’ those thoughts echoed in his head. Getting louder and louder until it stopped when he felt her hand on his shoulder.  
“We will defeat Snoke. Together, we will restore balance to the force” she said with sheer determination.

During the interrogation on Starkiller base, he delved into her memories to find the map only to find hardship and tragedy. Despite the tremendous feeling of loneliness, she latched on the hope of seeing her parents one day. There was no trace of hatred for them... for abandoning her.  
  
He wanted to brush off her claim as naivety, but couldn’t. Looking into her hazel eyes, he believed her wholeheartedly. Ben was the one to first break the gaze and look away when he remembered killing his father and Rey being there.

‘How could she believe that we can work together after seeing me, the monster, kill Han Solo’ the doubts started to seep in.

Rey stood up and brought him an artifact that belonged to him. It was her decision to give Ben his grandfather’s lightsaber. When he noticed what she had, he stood up with difficulty. He held it in his hands and looked at it with awe.

“Thank you” he said as he towered over her. “Do you have your own lightsaber?”

“Yes, Master Luke taught me how to build one” she took out her own lightsaber and ignited it. White was its color.

‘Fitting’ he thought to himself and smiled for a brief moment. Rey is truly pure hearted for treating him with kindness. Against his rational, Ben ignited Anakin’s lightsaber and pointed it at Rey. She did not flinch. She knew he was testing her. Wanting to push her away.

Rey retracted her lightsaber and took a few steps forward, having his lightsaber a few inches away from her face. She will not fight him. She took another step and Ben lowered quickly, never intending to harm her. His reflexes were slower than he anticipated, resulting in burning the left side of her face.

Rey placed her hand over the burnt skin. Fighting the urge to give into anger.

“Why is it so hard for you to believe that there is light in you?” She could feel the rage building.

“I killed my father! I am responsible for the Jedi Academy massacre” Ben yelled, “How could there be light?!”

“Master Luke told me about Snoke. As much as you want to blame yourself, he is the one to blame. He manipulated you into thinking Darth Vader was talking to you. Tormented you, turned you against your parents--”

“Enough” he yelled again. Ben collected himself and spoke again in calm tone “I will help you defeat Snoke on one condition… We do not talk about him”.

As twisted as it may seem, he viewed Snoke as a loving father figure and needed time to unsee it.

“Fine” Rey started to apply herbs on her wound.

Ben rolled his eyes using primitive ways of healing, he approached Rey and gently touched her face, while saying “Let me see that” He used the force to heal the burned flesh.

She knew that this was his way of apologizing and tried her best to act nonchalantly. It was difficult for Rey to accept help, yet she did no mind it when it came from him.

“Did Luke not show teach you Force Healing?” he asked, breaking the awkward silence.

“I did not complete my training” Rey answered. She was glad he was attempting to converse.

He turned his attention to his wound and started healing it, as well which took a toll on him. His body was still weak and he needed to rest. He laid bed without saying a word and fell into sleep.

Rey also decided to finally sleep. She trusts that he will not cause her harm and finally let her guard down as she closed her eyes.

Today she lost her master, but gained an ally.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> * I am implying that Snoke deceived Ben Solo into thinking that Darth Vader was speaking to him. I will expand on that theory in the next chapters.  
> 


	3. In the abyss of darkness

Rey woke up to find herself alone. She ran outside, worried that he flew away with the Millennium Falcon, fearing being abandoned once again. She was able to breath normally when she saw the Millennium Falcon in its place. Rey climbed on board and found Ben sitting in the Co-pilot seat. His favorite spot. He was allowed to sit on the co-pilot seat whenever he wins against Chewie in a game of Dejarik.

When he realized that Rey was watching him, he got up and walked away. He wanted to hide tear-stained face, and wished he had his mask on, but stopped when he felt her aura. Her felt her anxiety and knew the cause.

“I was not going to leave” he tried to reassure her as he walked away.

Rey caught a sight of his face and said nothing. He was mourning his father and she let him be.

Ben walked for sometime till his stomach started to growl. He started to look for food and used the force to capture it. He knew Luke would disapprove of his lazy method, but why make things harder than it should be.

He headed back to the hut to find Rey meditating outside.

Ben shook his head, remembering his training days in the Jedi Academy. Meditation was his least favorite task. He could never concentrate. Not with the Snoke’s voice in his head at that time. Before the Academy, Snoke spoke to him as Vader. Mocked him for being a lowlife Solo. His parents dismissed Ben’s claim of his grandfather talking to him, since he did not appear in  Force Ghost form. They thought he was pretending, that’s when Ben started to resent them and isolated himself. Not even Luke believed Him. That’s when Vader disappeared and Snoke entered his life and gained his complete trust.

Ben could see things more clearly now whenever he reflected on his past. How successful Snoke was in isolating Ben from his family and friends without being detected.

He turned his attention to the food to calm himself. He knew Rey was as hungry as him, yet she remained meditating for the longest time. Part of him felt bad for eating without waiting for her.

“Eat” he offered, but sounded like a command.

Rey opened her eyes, thanked him, took the food while sitting on the ground and started munching on the food loudly. Her lack of etiquette brought a smile to His face .

“What is it?” Rey asked. Tasting food other than the portions given by Ukthar Plutt brought her joy.

“Arch Grubs” he answered and sat besides her.

“The taste is out of this realm” she said wide-eyed. “I never had anything like it!”

This felt good. Sitting here, in the middle of nowhere, with her. He knew this feeling will not last. It never does.

He went back to concentrating on their objective. To get strong and defeat Snoke. For the next days, Ben assumed the leadership role and focused on fighting techniques that he learned from Luke, Knights of Ren and Snoke.

“I did defeat you” Rey could not resist when she offered to show him new techniques.

“I was holding back” he countered, holding back his smile. Rey could see the admiration in his eyes and nodded abashedly. They both knew that that was not true.

She had the ability to wield the lightsaber with both hands; while he heavily depended on his right hand. Rey tied his right arm behind his back and fought him as he used his left hand. The lightsaber was knocked out of his hand from the first clash.

“Did you teach yourself?” Ben asked out of curiosity. 

“Master Luke says I was his padawan a decade ago, but this technique I taught myself. Using both ends of the staff helped out of many situations in Jakku”

“Rey” he spoke her name for the first time. “It was me.. I left you on Jakku” he confessed. His suspicious were confirmed once she talked about the Jedi Academy.

He kept looking at her eyes. Fighting the urge to look away in shame.

She did not speak and her face was blank of expression. As far as her memories go, her life began on Jakku. Luke spoke of her time in the Jedi Academy, when she was 9 years old. After the massacre, Luke always presumed she had murdered with the rest. How she ended up on Jakku is her life’s mystery until now.

“I had turned some of the padawans to the dark side and killed the rest except for you. I couldn’t. When others volunteered, I promised Snoke that I will turn you with time and he allowed it. Then he sold you to a junkyard dealer in exchange for a new ship when our ship broke down on a desert planet. I’m sorry.”

Rey remembered.

> She could see him in the desert smiling sadly at her.
> 
> “I’ll tell your parents to come for you” he promised
> 
> “Come back!” Rey yelled through her tears as she saw him fly away in the spaceship.

She finally remembered segments of her life before Jakku. Being the youngest padawan, Rey was nicknamed Jedi Baby Girl. She remembered the day of the massacre and how horrified to see the kindest person turn into a monster. The same monster, who saved her from certain death.

“Why haven’t they come for me? “ Rey started to cry.

“I could not find your parents"

“Why didn’t _you_?!” she asked again. With the new memories, new feelings emerged. She followed him everywhere during their training days and considered him a friend. He was a loner, but did not mind Rey sitting with him. Everyone knew about his 'mental state' and kept their distance except for her.

The question startled Ben. When Snoke sold Rey, Ben was in no position of defying his new master. He was thrown into training and tried to survive everyday. Once he passed and outlived all of the apprentices, Ben was named the Leader of the Knights of Ren. Gaining rank, he had more freedom to move, and went to Stewjon, where Rey's is from. He hoped that Snoke have forgotten about her and would not suspect his actions. 

After his return from Stewjon, Snoke did not understand why he went to Stewjon, but he detected Ben's empathy and warned him _"Empathy is a Jedi trait. Empathy leads to understanding. Understanding leads to compassion. Compassion leads to love. There is no place for love for a Sith. Only hate."_ That was the end of it. He focused on his training and turned into an unfeeling creature.

“I was weak and still am” Ben confessed thinking this was the end of it all for them,.

“You were weak, but not anymore. Let us continue our training” Rey wiped away her tears. She needed to channel her emotions into her training.

In the abyss of darkness, she was the beacon of light showing him the way back.

He faltered all through his life struggling between the light and the dark. With Rey on his side, he knows the struggle is over.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dejarik is the virtual chess game  
> Stewjon is the Obi Wan's home planet. I am suggesting that she is from the Kenobi lineage.  
> The following quote is from Finn Sith Master "Empathy is a Jedi trait. Empathy leads to understanding. Understanding leads to compassion. Compassion leads to love. There is no place for love for a Sith. Only hate."


End file.
